Fusible link.



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FUSBLE UNK APPLICATION FILED )UNE 28,1913- THE coLuMBxA PLANUGRAPH vco., wAsnlNc'roN, n. c.

marian stri-iras I-IJALMAR G. CARLSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSGNOR TO ROCKWOOD SPRINKLER COMPANY OF MASSACHUSETTS, OF WORCESTER, llASSACHUSET-TS, A

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FUSIBLE LINK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ltllay Trb, llll.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HJALMAR G. CARLSON, a citizen of the United States, residingat Worcester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Fusible Link, of which the -following is a specication.

This invention relates to a fusible link for use in connection with fire extinguishing apparatus, alarms, etc.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a link for this purpose of an extremely simple and inexpensive character, in which each of the two link members shall consist of a single piece adapted to be shaped up in dies and shall be strengthened by the shaping up process, and especially to provide a construction of this character in which when the links start to separate there will be a force exerted by their straight separation which shall have the effect of forcing a slanting surface of one transversely in its own plane so as to ride up on a corresponding surface of the other and thus rapidly separate them. j

The invention also involves certain features of construction as will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of a complete link constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, central sectional view; Fig. 4f is a plan of one of the link members Fig. 5 is a plan showing the separation of the two members, and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on enlarged scale on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The link is shown as consisting of two members A and B. Each of these members is made preferably entirely of sheet metal and they are so designed that they can be formed of this material in a convenient manner and without undue expense. Each of the members is provided with a fiat surface and in practice the surfaces of the two members are designed to engage each other substantially throughout their extent so that they can be soldered or sweated together in such a way that an elevation in temperature above a predetermined point will melt the binding material and permit them to be separated. This, of course, is well understood in this art.

The surface of the member A is provided with a depression a in the form of a longitudinal groove having curved surfaces. The corresponding surface of the other member is provided with a projection o adapted to fit into the depression a. The exterior convex surface of the projection substantially fits the interior concave surface of the depression and they are curved in substantially the same way.

On one edge of the link A is upturned a ridge or edge a. This is of a general convex form but it has a notch a2 at the center. The member B is flat at the saine point but is provided with a convex portion o and a notch b2 adapted to fit in the corresponding inner surface of the flange a, when the projection and depression are in register.

As is usual in this class of links the two members are provided with perforations at their opposite ends for the securing of a tying member or the like by which the tension is applied to pull the twof linkv members apart. For the purpose of properly finishing these holes and reinforcing around the edges thereof the metal of the link member is turned outwardly at c and then inwardly on itself, drawn through the hole, brought around back and expanded outwardly on the rear side up against the body of the metal at the point c. In this way a smooth reinforcement is provided for strengthening the link and receiving the chain, cord, or other tying member.

In the operation of the device the manner in which the parts remain in their normal position will be understood. When the heat rises sufficiently to loosen the solder the first effect is to tend to pull the two eyelets straight apart in their own plane. Another efl'ect is caused by the flange a, namely, the two link members are caused to rock on each other in the same plane as indicated in Fig. 5. Both of these motions obviously cause the convex upper surface of the projection Z1 to ride up on the concave inner surface of the depression a, the end of the flange a serving as a fulcrum. Thus the surfaces which receive the fusible metal move apart transversely. The effect of this double rocking action is to cause the soldered surfaces to separate quickly and throughout their extent as soon as the two link members are loosened in the slightest degree. Thus they are pulled apart quickly and without any chance of their sticking.

Although I have illustrated and described a single embodiment of the invention, I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but

What I do claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link consisting solely of two members each having cooperating contacting surfaces and provided with means for causing said members to separate transversely when they start to pull apart longitudinally and to separate sidewise in their plane.

2. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two members having surfaces adapted to be secured together by a thin layer of fusible material between them, one of said surfaces having an indentation and the other a projection for entering the indentation, and means whereby when said links are drawn apart, the projection will be forced sidewise in the indentation in the plane of said layer of fusible material against the wall thereof.

3. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two members having flat surfaces adapted to be secured together by a thin layer of fusible material between them, one of said surfaces having an indentation having slanting walls and the other a projection for entering the indentation, and means whereby when said links are drawn apart, the projection will be forced sidewise in the indentation against the side slanting wall thereof.

et. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two members having contacting flat surfaces, one of said members having an indentation and the other a projection extending into the indentation, said members having perforations at their opposite ends, one of said members having a flange extending past the edge of the other member, said edge of the other member having a form for engaging the flange when the members are pulled apart and forcing one of the members to slide along the surface of the other to bring said projection into engagement with the wall of said indentation.

5. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two substantially fiat members having respectively, an indentation and a projection fitting each other, one of said members having a transverse flange extending from one side and of a slanting form on one end and the other member having its edge extending into and tting within said flange.

6. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two substantially fiat members having respectively, an indentation and a projection fitting each other, one ofsaid members having a transverse flange extending from one side and of a slanting form on one end and the other member having its edge extending into and fitting within said flange, and both members having an eyelet at their opposite ends. o

7. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link consisting of two substantially at members each having an eyelet at its end formed by turning over the metal of the link on itself and forming an integral reinforcement around the eyelet, one of said members having a projection and the other an indentation for receiving it and one having means whereby when the links start to pull apart, one of them will be forced sideways on the other to cause the wall of the projection to engage the wall of the indentation and ride up on it.

8. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two members having surfaces adaptedto be secured together by a thin layer of fusible material between them, one of said members having one of its edges arranged at an angle with the line along which they tend to separate and the other member having a projection transverse to its surface for engaging said edge and forcing said members to slide on each other transversely in their own planes when they start to separate longitudinally.

9. As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two members having fiat contiguous surfaces adapted to be secured together throughout a wide area by a thin layer of fusible material located between them, each of said members having two convex edges, one of said edges having a similarly shaped convex flange', the flange on each member engaging the convex edge of the other member, whereby when they start to pull apart the anges and co-acting edges will cause them to slide in their own planes at an angle to the direction of pull.

10; As an article of manufacture, a fusible link comprising two members having contacting flat surfaces, said members having 

